Held in Shadows: A Black and White Portrait Photography Project in Minnesota

In January, when things begin to slow for many photographers, I return to a creative list I’ve been building since the beginning of my professional journey as a Minnesota portrait photographer. This list holds ideas for passion projects, concepts that spark something in me when motivation feels low, along with lessons and exercises meant to challenge my weaker areas as an artist.

The project that called to me in 2026 was a study of shadows — their depth, their movement, their patterns. I wanted to explore portraits in less-than-ideal lighting. For me, that meant harsh, direct sun, backlit. Uneven light. Light that cuts across a subject instead of wrapping gently around it. Sometimes even drastically less light than I naturally gravitate toward.

When I scout locations, I instinctively look for softness. Open shade. Golden hour. Diffused window light. Light that flatters easily and predictably. This is what I lean into for family, couples, and senior sessions — and for good reason. It’s beautiful! It’s safe. It works.

But I realized I had put myself in a box by only working within those conditions.

I wanted this series to be more than flattering. I wanted it to be interesting.

So, I shifted my mindset and moved into all the areas I used to avoid. 

I let shadows fall where they wanted. I embraced contrast instead of avoiding it. I allowed light to disturb and carve rather than smooth. Faces became landscapes of shape and depth. Lines from blinds, plants, and architecture became part of the composition instead of distractions to eliminate.

Each portrait session was shot in monochrome in-camera. Removing color forced my eye to focus on contrast, texture, and form. While in post editing, instead of lifting shadows, I made them a little deeper.

For comparison, I also captured a well-lit, more typical portrait during each session — the kind of image I’m known for creating. And I loved those, too. There is something timeless and tender about soft light that I will never abandon.

But what surprised me most was how much I loved the shadows.

They felt mysterious, and powerful.

In studying shadows, I opened a door — for myself and for my clients.

I began noticing them everywhere. The way late afternoon light slices through bridges and archways. The patterned shadows cast by blinds in my own home or even a parking ramp. The sharp line of sun drifting across someone’s cheek during an otherwise “ordinary” session. Instead of instinctively pulling my subject two steps to the left into softer light, I started asking, What if we stay here?

What if we lean into it?

Shadows stopped feeling like something to correct and started feeling like something to collaborate with.

This doesn’t mean I’m abandoning the soft, flattering light I love. It means I now have more range. More intention. More creative freedom. When the moment calls for drama, for edge, for contrast — I won’t shy away from it. I’ll step toward it.

My hope is that this shift shows up in the galleries I deliver. More dimension. More variety. More images that feel dynamic and alive — not just beautiful, but layered.

If you find yourself drawn to images with depth, with bold light and quiet shadow, I would love to explore that with you. Whether it’s a family session, senior portraits, or something more personal, there is space for both softness and strength.

There is space for light that flatters, and light that tells a deeper story.

Thanks for being here.

Saint Paul & Twin Cities Photographer